


Fluffy New Friend

by aprime810



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M, Puppies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2016-08-01
Packaged: 2018-07-28 09:02:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7634119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aprime810/pseuds/aprime810
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reiner and Bertholdt find a lost puppy and decide to give it some help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A cool evening breeze hit Reiner's face, sweeping through his short hair and making his eyes water. The weather was getting steadily colder as winter approached. Trees dropped more leaves each day and frost was beginning to cling to the ground in the mornings. But the temperature change was nothing a sweatshirt couldn't fix. Plus, it made jogging outside a lot nicer.  
  
Reiner and Bertholdt were out for their usual run through the nearby city park, winding along the vast network of trails and roads. Bertholdt had originally suggested this activity months ago, but it had quickly become something Reiner looked forward to every day. After all, it combined two of his favorite things - exercise and his boyfriend.  
  
They stopped to stretch, pulling off the trail for a minute to lean against a bench. Orange and yellow leaves littered the grass and crunched beneath their shoes. Reiner took a deep breath of the cool air and sighed happily. It felt so refreshing. He shot Bertholdt a smile and immediately received another in return. No words needed to be exchanged. They both knew they were enjoying their time together.  
  
Suddenly, Reiner spotted movement under a nearby bush. He squinted, then his eyes widened as he realized what it was.  
  
"Bertl, look!"  
  
Bertholdt followed where Reiner was pointing and saw the strange form hunkered up under the leaves. They both bent down and looked closer.  
  
It was a puppy, curled up in a tight ball of black, white, and copper fur. It was about the size of a cat, with a little white-tipped tail and floppy, triangular ears. A black nose twitched at the end of its white muzzle and big brown eyes stared up at the couple warily.  
  
Reiner reached out and pulled the puppy from under the bush as Bertholdt watched in concern. Small white paws scrabbled at the air as it whimpered and squirmed, unsure of what to do in his hands. Reiner sat down in the grass and pulled the dog to his chest, stroking its head and cradling it like a baby. Its fur was a bit long and fluffy, but it still had to be chilly in this weather. Once it realized Reiner was no threat, the puppy quickly calmed down, snuggling against his warm body.  
  
Who did this little dog belong to? Reiner looked all around, but the park was empty. There was no sign of anyone out looking for a lost puppy.  
  
Apparently, Bertholdt noticed the same thing. "What should we do?"  
  
"I don't know. It's too late to bring it to the shelter," Reiner said, petting the puppy's tiny chest. "We'll have to wait until tomorrow morning."  
  
Bertholdt cautiously scratched the dog's head. "...So you want to take it home?"  
  
"What else can we do? We can't just leave it out here by itself."  
  
"Yeah, you have a point. I guess we'll check tomorrow."  
  
Placing the puppy in his lap, Reiner removed his sweatshirt and let the dog crawl inside the warm fabric. It lay down and got comfortable, peeking out from the neck with huge, curious eyes. Reiner felt its tail start to wag as he and Bertholdt cooed and petted its soft head. It even licked his fingers when he offered his hand to smell, making him chuckle. So adorable.  
  
Reiner had always loved dogs. He'd grown up with them all his life, both at home and at his friends' houses. They were so much fun to interact with, with their happy dispositions and unwavering loyalty. They seemed to get along with him well too - he couldn't remember ever having a bad experience with a dog before.  
  
Reiner carefully gathered up the bundle as soon as he saw the puppy start to close its eyes. Undoubtedly it'd had a long day, but it could wait to sleep once they were all warm and cozy inside.  
  
With their routine interrupted, the couple made their way back to the apartment as fast as possible. The puppy was quiet and content in Reiner's arms for the journey, still wrapped up inside his sweatshirt. When they got home, they found Armin and Jean seated at the table, back for the night and eating dinner. Armin's face lit up when he saw the puppy and Jean raised an eyebrow with a smile.  
  
"What is that?" Jean said as he watched Reiner set the puppy down on the floor. It started to totter around the room, sniffing everything it came across. Armin abandoned his meal to go pet it.  
  
"We found it out on our run," said Reiner, "but the shelter's closed. We have to wait until morning to bring it in."  
  
"And you want to keep it here for the night?"  
  
"Yeah. Is that alright with you?"  
  
"Sure. Just don't let it chew on any of my stuff." Jean thought for a moment, then added, "and you're cleaning up any accidents it has."  
  
"Got it. How about you, Armin?"  
  
His friend beamed and nodded as the puppy nuzzled against his hand. "It's alright with me!"  
  
"Great," Reiner said, flashing him a grin back. "Now it just needs food."  
  
Bertholdt swiped a few times on his phone. "The pet store's still open."  
  
"Excellent. You three keep an eye on the puppy, and I'll be right back."  


 

A quick drive to the store later, the puppy had food, a small dog bed, and a rubber chew toy. Reiner knew they'd only have it for a night, but the supplies weren't that expensive. He just wanted the puppy to be comfortable and happy, especially if it was upset to be away from home. He'd want the same thing if his own pet got lost.  
  
When he returned to the apartment, he found Bertholdt and Armin playing with the puppy on the floor. Jean had left to hang out with some other friends he'd made plans with, although Bertholdt said he'd grumbled about having to leave the puppy. Apparently he did like it.  
  
The puppy seemed right at home, climbing all over Bertholdt and Armin's laps as they giggled and petted it. They'd found an old t-shirt and fashioned it into a rough piece of rope to play tug-of-war, which the dog seemed to enjoy. They'd also taken the puppy out downstairs to relieve itself and made a discovery - it appeared to be a girl.  
  
Reiner filled a bowl full of puppy chow and set it down next to where Bertholdt had placed a bowl of water in the kitchen. The puppy toddled over to see what he was up to, then immediately dug in once she caught a whiff of the kibble. Bertholdt joined Reiner by the counter to watch her eat, wrapping an arm around his waist. Reiner hummed and returned the gesture. This had turned out to be quite an unusual day.  
  
"Wow. She was hungry," he said as the puppy cleaned out the bowl. She'd powered through the entire thing without slowing once.  
  
"Yeah. She must not have eaten in a while."  
  
The puppy licked her chops and waddled back over to the couple for more petting, wagging her little black-and-white tail. Reiner was impressed and a bit surprised. How could something so small even eat that much? When Reiner picked her up, he noticed that her stomach was bulging from her massive meal. It only made him smile more.  
  
As Reiner settled her against his chest, Bertholdt leaned down to coo at the puppy and scratch her head. Still wagging her tail in Reiner's arms, she reached out and gave his nose a few small licks. More giggles filled the room and Reiner's heart melted. Bertholdt had never been one to laugh often, but Reiner loved when he did. It felt like a special treat to hear his musical laughter.  
  
After a few more cuddles, Reiner brought the puppy back over to Armin, who was more than happy to pet and play with her while Reiner and Bertholdt took a shower. Once clean, they returned to eat their own meal and work on their homework on the couch, occasionally petting the puppy if she came near. She was incredibly affectionate, licking and rubbing up against everyone's hands.  
  
Reiner found himself beginning to dread the next morning. The puppy was so cute and he was having such a good time with her. Why couldn't she just stay here with them?  
  
"She's so friendly and trusting," Armin said. He was lying on the floor, pulling on the chew toy as the puppy tried to take it back from him. Tiny growls left her throat but they were only for play. "She probably belongs to someone if she's this comfortable around people."  
  
That was why. Reiner would never be able to forgive himself if he kept another person's pet for himself, especially one as nice as this puppy.  
  
"Yeah, you're probably right," said Reiner. "I'm surprised no one was out looking for her."  
  
"Maybe they gave up for the night? Hopefully they'll check the shelter soon."  
  
"Yeah, hopefully..."  
  
Not long after, Armin decided to head to his room for the night. He said his goodnights and placed the puppy on the couch between Reiner and Bertholdt. She immediately rolled over, panting happily and letting the two rub her full, round belly as they both finished their assignments. Within a few minutes, she'd fallen asleep, still sprawled out on her back.  
  
"Looks like she's ready for bed," Reiner commented quietly. "We should probably follow her example."  
  
"Sounds good," Bertholdt said, gathering up his things with as little noise as possible.  
  
"Let's bring her into your room," said Reiner as he picked up the dog bed. "If she needs anything during the night, we'll know."  
  
Bertholdt followed Reiner to his bedroom, cradling the sleepy puppy in his arms. He gently placed her in the dog bed down on the floor, giving her a few more pets. She stirred slightly and then settled back down as the couple got ready for bed.  
  
Once they'd finished their routines, Reiner and Bertholdt snuggled up on Bertholdt's mattress under a blanket. Warm and comfortable in Bertholdt's arms after the long day, Reiner finally closed his eyes.  
  
The two were just drifting off when Reiner heard a whimper from the floor. He glanced over at the puppy and saw her looking back at him from her bed with sad eyes. She whined again.  
  
"She still wants to cuddle," Bertholdt whispered.  
  
Reiner sighed, then reluctantly slid out of bed. He picked up the puppy and brought her back to the mattress, grumbling about how he'd paid for the dog bed. Bertholdt giggled as the puppy wagged her stubby tail and wriggled under the blanket beside him. She curled up against his chest with a little sigh. Reiner couldn't resist a smile as he lay back down on the other side of her. The puppy was such a sweetheart and he was glad she brought Bertholdt so much happiness too.  
  
"She's really a cute little furball, huh?" Reiner said, scratching behind the puppy's floppy ears.  
  
"Mm-hm..."  
  
"We should give her a name."  
  
"Reiner..." Bertholdt gently put a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder. His expression was apologetic. "You can't get too attached. We have to take her in tomorrow."  
  
Reiner sighed again. "I know... I wish we could keep her."  
  
"Me too. But she might belong to someone already."  
  
"Yeah, she probably does... I guess we'll find out in the morning." Reiner scooted closer, soft fur tickling under his chin. He placed his arm around Bertholdt's warm body, over the puppy. "Goodnight, you two."  
  
Bertholdt gave him a kiss back. "Goodnight."


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Reiner woke up to a pain in his leg.

Annoyance flashed through him. This wasn't the first time he'd woken up hurting and he doubted it would be the last. He sat up and glared at the figure on the bed beside him.

Bertholdt was splayed out on his back, one arm raised above his head and the other thrown across Reiner's torso. Reiner realized the pain he'd felt was the result of a knee jammed into his thigh under the blanket. Of course. Bertholdt's body was twisted at an odd angle, which Reiner noticed was because he was curved around the small fluffy form by his side.

The puppy was still snuggled against Bertholdt's body, but she had also stretched out on her back. She'd pulled her tiny paws up to her chest and spread out her legs, revealing all of her soft white underbelly. Her head was completely upside down with her little snout pointed clear back toward the wall behind their heads. She looked strange, but her body was totally relaxed. She was obviously comfortable sleeping in such a weird position. Just like Bertholdt.

Reiner grinned, his irritation forgotten. After all, it wasn't exactly surprising that his boyfriend had woken him up before the puppy had. He leaned over and kissed Bertholdt's forehead, gently running his fingers through his hair.

"Bertl... wake up..."

Tired green eyes slowly blinked open and met his gaze.

"Look..." Reiner gestured at the puppy. "Your twin."

Bertholdt glanced down and smiled. He stroked her exposed belly, causing her to stir. She stretched and yawned, showing off her tiny pink tongue.

"She really is adorable," Reiner said, scratching under the puppy's chin.

"Yeah..." Bertholdt also stretched his long limbs and rolled onto his side, curling around the dog. She nestled against his body again and licked his jaw.

"We should take her out one last time before we bring her to the shelter," said Reiner as he toyed with his boyfriend's messy black hair. He didn't want to get up, but he knew they had to. "You want to come?"

"Uh..." Bertholdt reached over to check his phone. "Now? It's so early..."

"Do you want her to poop on your bed?"

"...No..."

"Alright then, come on. We need to make it back before class."

The two quickly got dressed and brought the puppy outside to the apartment's tiny "dog park." It was really only a small patch of grass fenced off in a corner of the parking lot. A single scraggly tree stood guard over a rusty metal bench on one side. The "park" paled in comparison to the actual one down the road, but at least it was something right downstairs for the building's canines.

Reiner and Bertholdt huddled close together in their sweatshirts as they watched the puppy relieve herself, the chilly morning air biting at their noses and cheeks. Once she was finished, Reiner grabbed her and they all hurried back inside to the warmth. It really was getting cold these days.

They finished getting ready for the day as the puppy munched on breakfast, and then the trio got in the car and headed out. Bertholdt held the puppy on his lap for the drive, petting her head and letting her lick his hand. She didn't seem that concerned about being in the car. Instead, she looked around and out the windows, panting happily.

"I'm gonna miss her," Reiner said as he pulled into the parking lot.

"Yeah, me too. This was fun."

"You know, we should look into getting a dog. A pet would be cool, and the apartment allows them anyway. Christa has her cat, and I think Connie had a hamster or something last year."

"We should. I'd like that."

"We can talk to Jean and Armin about it." Reiner stepped out of the car and held the door open for Bertholdt. "Maybe they'd want to come back here with us and look."

"Good idea."

Bertholdt carried the puppy into the shelter, Reiner following close behind. They stopped at the front desk, where a short, brown-haired man was seated. He welcomed the couple with a warm smile.

"Hello! What can I help you with?"

"Hi," Reiner said. "We found this puppy in the Trost City Park last night, near the university. But we're not sure if she belongs to anyone. She doesn't have a collar."

"Okay, hold on one moment, we'll take a look at her."

The employee phoned an assistant in from the back room, a woman with shrewd eyes and a high ponytail of jet-black hair. She took the puppy from Bertholdt's arms and brought her back through the same door. Reiner and Bertholdt sat down in some chairs to the side, looking at all the pet supplies and posters in the lobby as they waited for more news. A faint smell of dog treats and hand sanitizer lingered in the room. From down the hall, Reiner could hear other dogs barking as people went in and out of the kennels.

A few minutes later, the assistant reappeared, arms empty.

"She doesn't have a microchip, or any other identification," she explained, "and no one has come in or called about her."

"So she'll be put up for adoption?" Reiner asked.

"We'll wait a week for someone to claim her, and then she'll be up for adoption after that."

"Okay. Thanks for your help."

"No problem. Thank you for bringing her in."

Their mission accomplished, Reiner and Bertholdt headed out to the parking lot and drove back to campus.

"Are you okay?"

Bertholdt's question broke the silence in the car. Reiner sighed. He was still sad they'd had to leave the puppy, and without even saying goodbye. 

"Yeah... I just hope she'll be alright."

"They'll take care of her. And hopefully someone will come to bring her back home, or adopt her."

Reiner grunted, then dropped back into silence. He kept his eyes focused on the road as trees and buildings sped by the windows. A thin layer of clouds blanketed the sky, filtering the sunlight down into a dull gray. The car was quiet.

"What if we adopted her?" Reiner suddenly blurted out.

Bertholdt smiled. "I figured you'd ask that. That'd be fine with me."

A grin spread across Reiner's face. That was easy. "Great. So we'll just have to ask Armin and Jean tonight."

"I'm sure they'll say yes. Armin loves her already and even Jean likes her more than he wanted to admit."

"We'll have to buy some more things for her, and make sure she gets enough exercise."

"That shouldn't be a problem. There are four of us who could help."

Reiner nodded, already thinking ahead and working out a plan. Excitement welled up inside of him. This could really happen. All they had to do was iron out the details and let a week pass to see if the puppy had found a home.

He couldn't wait.

 

Today was the day.

Reiner could barely focus in class. All he wanted to do was visit the shelter. The last week had crawled by, and each passing day seemed longer than the last. By the time Reiner was finally done with class for the afternoon, he practically sprinted out of the room and headed straight for the car.

As expected, Armin and Jean were both on board with adopting the puppy. They'd also readily agreed to help care for her, taking her out for exercise and giving her lots of love and attention. Armin had even offered to find an obedience class they could enroll her in. All four of the roommates were excited for their new friend to join their little group.

The entire way to the shelter, Reiner was hoping and pleading that the puppy was still there. He'd agreed to go with Bertholdt after they were done for that day, but Reiner wanted to bring the puppy home to surprise his boyfriend. He'd already decided to skip his usual study group, but Bertholdt would still be expecting him home in an hour. He should have more than enough time to pick up the puppy.

When he got to the shelter, Reiner burst in the doors and strode over to the front desk.

"Hi, how can I help you?" the cheery receptionist asked. She was a different employee from the week prior.

"Hello. We brought a puppy in a week ago, and were told that she'd be up for adoption if no one claimed her. I was hoping to adopt her, if she's still here."

"I can check. Can you give me a description of the puppy?"

"Yes, she's young, black and white and brown, with medium-length fur. Floppy ears and a white tip on her tail. Very sweet and friendly."

The woman typed some words into her computer and clicked a few times. Reiner clenched and unclenched his jaw as his eyes wandered around the lobby. He felt so tense. The puppy had to still be there.

"I'm so sorry, but it looks like she was adopted earlier this afternoon."

Reiner's heart dropped.

He was too late.

"Oh. Well... Thanks for checking." He turned to walk back out the door.

Damn.

So much for that.

 

Reiner stopped at the apartment door. A heavy sigh left his lungs as he steeled himself to give Bertholdt the bad news. His boyfriend had also been excited this whole week, and would no doubt be disappointed to hear about what had happened. This wasn't going to be a fun conversation.

Maybe they could get a different dog? There had to be another one as cute and sweet as that puppy. They could go look together, and maybe Armin and Jean would want to come too. Reiner took a little bit of hope in that idea. It wasn't as good as how he'd already planned this would go, but at least it was something. Hopefully Bertholdt would like that idea too.

Reiner opened the door and stepped inside...

...And a small furry form skidded across the floor and crashed into his legs. It let out a small bark and ran around his feet in excitement. Its dark fur, white-tipped tail, and friendly disposition were all too familiar. It was the puppy!

Reiner's eyes widened, and then a grin spread across his face. He picked up the puppy and laughed as she wriggled happily in his arms and licked all over his face. She was just as affectionate as before.

"Oh good, she remembers you!"

Reiner looked up to see Bertholdt walking over from the couch, a smile on his face.

"It was you? You adopted her?"

Bertholdt's expression turned sheepish as he petted the puppy. "I called the shelter a few days ago and asked if we could, if no one claimed her. They said yes and put us on a waiting list, then called me this morning to say the week was up and we could take her home. Marco gave me a ride over while you were still in class. I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, I'm definitely surprised." Reiner chuckled, then leaned over the puppy to give Bertholdt a kiss. He was ecstatic. What could be better than his wonderful boyfriend _and_ a dog? "Thank you, Bertl. This made my day. Made my week or month, even."

"You're welcome," Bertholdt said, wrapping his arms around Reiner's waist.

"I love you so much."

Bertholdt smiled. "I love you too." He gave him another tender kiss, then looked down at the puppy. "Okay, now we can give her a name. Any ideas?"

"What, you don't just want to call her 'puppy?'" Reiner said with a smirk.

Bertholdt just narrowed his eyes, the smile still playing on his lips. "I think we can do a little better than that."

True. Reiner paused, letting the puppy lick his face again.

"How about... Bandit. She's got the little black mask... and it seems like she's stolen both of our hearts."

Bertholdt snickered. "That's even cornier... but I like it."

"Perfect." Reiner scratched their new friend's head. "Welcome home, Bandit."

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time uploading on AO3! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it :)
> 
> If you'd like to read more of my writing, I have some more pieces on my Tumblr at from-armin-to-z, and I hope to upload more on here soon!


End file.
